Final Rule

The U.S. Coast Guard issued a final rule adopting, with minor changes, its prior interim rule requiring installation of fire-suppression systems and use of voyage planning on certain U.S. towing vessels. The final rule comes into effect on July 19.
Source: HK Law

Within one year of President Bush’s signing of the Maritime Transportation Security Act on November 25, 2002 U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge today announced approval and publication of the final maritime industry security rules which are designed to significantly improve protection of America’s ports, waterways, and ships from a terrorist attack.
“With 95 percent of our nation’s overseas cargo carried by ship

The Federal Register has published the final rule setting new emission standards for Category 3 marine diesel engines. The rule also includes an extensive set of technical amendments to our other highway and non-road engine programs.
The final rule and supporting documents are available for download at: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/oceanvessels.htm

Published in Federal Register on Sept. 27, 2011, is the Department of Transportation’s Final Rule regarding the use of the Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form (CCF). Importantly, the Final Rule extends the deadline for use of the old CCF until November 30, 2011, and finalizes procedures for use of the new CCF.
You can access the Federal Register document from: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-09-27/pdf/2011-24818.pdf

The Federal Maritime Commission announced that it would issue a Final Rule in Docket No. 04-12, Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carrier Service Arrangements, 46 CFR Part 531, to exempt non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs) from the publication requirements of the Shipping Act of 1984, subject to certain conditions. The Final Rule will allow NVOCCs and their affiliates to offer NVOCC Service Arrangements, or NSAs, to their shipper customers

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) issued an interim final rule establishing the Maritime Security Fleet Program, which was authorized by Congress last year to renew and expand the Maritime Security Program. The program provides for a fleet of active, commercially viable, privately owned vessels available to meet national defense and other security requirements and to maintain a United States presence in international commercial shipping

The Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS) published a final rule regarding the use of electronic funds transfer (EFT) by oil and natural gas companies bidding on Outer Continental Shelf federal leases. The final rule provides additional administrative flexibility to allow the agency to require EFT payment methods when appropriate. The rule will save time and money for the oil and natural gas industry and the Federal government.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) issued a final rule establishing regulations governing administrative determinations of availability of coastwise-qualified vessels to be used in the transportation and, if needed, launch or installation of offshore drilling or production platform jackets in specified projects only. Federal law permits use of non-coastwise-qualified launch barges only if it is determined that coastwise-qualified vessels are not available

The U.S. Coast Guard's Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship Directorate announced publication in the Federal Register of the final rule amending the Great Lakes Pilotage Rates for 2009.
Pilotage rates on the Great Lakes will increase by 10.77 percent when the final rule takes effect Aug. 1. The increase is an effort to align compensation levels between Great Lakes pilots and industry. The rate amendment was made in accordance with regulations relating to the annual review of

The U.S. Coast Guard is converting the current temporary regulated navigation area (RNA) within all inland rivers of the Eighth Coast Guard District into an interim final rule, effective November 1, 2003. The regulation requires that reports be submitted regarding planned movements of barges loaded with dangerous cargoes. Various changes have been instituted, based on comments submitted regarding the temporary rule. Comments on the interim rule should be submitted by January 2, 2004.

I had never personally met with U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Paul Zukunft before I sat with him in his office at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C., last month, but having sat with a long list of government, military and corporate leaders in my time

National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Randall Luthi issued a statement in response to the Obama Administration’s proposed Arctic Regulations on offshore oil and gas production, stating the U.S. must take steps to become a leader in Arctic Energy.

DESMI Ocean Guard’s RayClean Ballast Water Treatment System (BWTS) has earned Alternate Management System (AMS) acceptance from the United States Coast Guard (USCG).
On January 30, 2015, the USCG granted AMS acceptance to RayClean BWTS

Final rule on vessel requirements for Notices of Arrival and Departure and Automatic Identification System published in Federal Register
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) headquarters issued a statement announcing the publication of the final rule on Vessel Requirements for Notices of Arrival and

Sign-up for this year’s most in-depth exchange of information and best venue for BWT stakeholders to network and meet regulatory peers is underway.
Infocast’s 2nd Ballast Water Management Summit will take place in Long Beach, CA, from February 3-5, 2015

Notice of proposed rulemaking by U.S. Coast Guard focuses on seafarers' access to maritime facilities
On Monday, the U.S. Federal Register published a notice of proposed rulemaking by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to implement section 811 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (Pub. L

The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Costa Rican Government and APM Terminals in an appeal filed by the port workers union against the 33-year concession contract for the new Moin Container Terminal (TCM) in Limon on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

The U.S. Coast Guard published a final rule to the Federal Register announcing that it has received approval from the Office of Management and Budget for an information collection request associated with the January 2014 final rule on the discharge of bulk dry cargo residue on the U.S

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) published a final rule aligning its regulations with the 2010 Coast Guard Authorization Act. Before 2010, certain uninspected commercial vessels including barges and sailing vessels fell outside the scope of the statute requiring the Coast Guard to regulate lifesaving

Trojan Marinex today announced that Laurin Maritime has selected the Trojan Marinex Ballast Water Treatment (BWT) system for its 11-vessel tanker fleet.
“Laurin Maritime and Trojan Marinex is an outstanding partnership,” said Dr

NOAA today released a final rule and environmental impact statement expanding the boundaries of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron from 448 square miles to 4,300 square miles. The new boundaries now include the waters of Lake Huron adjacent to Michigan’s Alcona

Although OSHA Stakeholders have voted to extend the final deadline in four different meetings, the deadline has not been officially extended by US Government agency OSHA as of yet, say the experts at Crane Inspection & Certification Bureau (CICB)

Trojan Marinex ballast water treatment system receives U.S. Coast Guard AMS acceptance for all water qualities
Trojan Technologies’ Trojan Marinex ballast water treatment (BWT) product suite is one of the few to receive United States Coast Guard (USCG) Alternate Management System (AMS)